The death of a man who jumped off a window to escape a police migration raid on Wednesday in Limassol has brought to light discussions on the legal protocols surrounding search warrants.
Early on Wednesday, officers from the Alien and Immigration Service arrived at an apartment building, acting on a tip about undocumented migrants living there.
As the officers entered the apartment, two occupants attempted to flee, with one young man jumping out of a window and succumbing to his injuries from the fall. Another person jumped onto an adjacent balcony, suffering serious fractures and injuries, and was rushed to the hospital.
Lefteris Kyriakou, head of the Limassol Criminal Investigation Department (CID), told the Cyprus News Agency that in such immigration checks, a search warrant is not legally required.
He drew a comparison to population registration visits by officials, a process that does not necessitate a warrant.
“It is similar to when officials from the Population Archive Department visit residences for population registration. They knock on doors, and with the occupant’s consent, proceed with the registration,” explained Kyriakou.
In this particular case, he added, as soon as an occupant opened the door to the Alien and Immigration Service officers and they were noticed, the two individuals tried to escape, resulting in the tragic outcome.
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